Case Report: Application of Acupuncture to Treat Knee Pain

This case study presents an 86 year old female patient suffering severe pain resulting from knee osteoarthritis, seeking acupuncture as a treatment option to alleviate her symptoms. After four treatments, patient self-reported significant improvement in range of motion and decrease in pain, which allowed for higher quality of life. It should be noted that the patient is taking Plavix, an anticoagulant for those intolerant of aspirin, which has the reported side effect of joint pain. It is also possible that acupuncture is acting to decrease the medication side effects. Based on these results, acupuncture may be a viable option as a complementary mode of treatment for symptom management that warrants further investigation.